


The Rebellion Awakens

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-03
Updated: 2011-02-04
Packaged: 2019-01-19 02:37:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12401337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: The Chosen One is dead, and all that he feared has come alive. Voldemort rules, all thought of rebellion is forgotten , everyone’s a Slytherin. Lillian Knight begins to doubt everything, begins to long for something else, for peace. She knows nothing of Harry Potter, nothing of the past. She only knows that things have to change.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**CHAPTER ONE:**  
Lillian Knight writhed in her bed, her bedclothes tangling around her lithe seekers body, sticking to her skin and the cold sweat that saturated it. Lillian tried to fight it, tried with all of her power to rouse herself, to escape the cold darkness of her nightmares, and finally, when her wrist smacked hard against the stone wall of her bedroom, she managed it. Her blue eyes flew open and she sat upright, pounding the heel of her hand into her forehead as she tried, with no avail to remember her dream. The dream that had haunted her, tortured her, since the first day of summer, she did not understand why she had nightmares, or no… it was only one nightmare. She was sure of that, even if she could not recall what it was about, she squeezed her eyes shut but opened them almost instantly, however unlikely she did not want to risk falling into the dark abyss of her nightmare anymore tonight. The mere thought of it was too much for her and she swung her legs over the side of her bed, shivering when they hit the cold floor. Pulling on some thick woollen socks she kept on her bedside table she searched blindly for her wand, smiling lightly at the familiar tingle she felt coursing through her veins when cold fingers hit the thin piece of elm.    
“ _Lumos!_ ” staring around at her room she shuddered, she hated the inevitable green walls, the silver silken curtains, the large snake rearing on her bedspread that were all symbolic of Slytherin. Not knowing the reason she charmed her wall red, her curtains gold, the snake on her bed turned into a roaring lion, she grinned widely, this was much better. The smile soon faded, as they always did on Lillian’s pale face, morphing into the customary expression she wore. One that had taken her whole life to perfect, one that did not end on the surface, she did not show any emotion on her face, and she knew if someone were to perform Leglimency on her mind they would get nowhere. Every thought, every feeling, every experience and memory were locked securely in a trunk in the back of her mind, surrounded by a high brick wall. She also knew that one look from the Dark Lord would weaken this immensely which was why she continuously practised her single form of defense she had against her Lord.   
With another flick of her wand, the new and improved changes to her room were replaced with the sallow green; Lillian sighed deeply and absent-mindedly chewed at her thumbnail. She wanted more than anything to go for a ride on her Broomstick, the Asteroid 6,000 she had gotten for her birthday two weeks previously but she knew that she couldn’t. There was curfew to abide and the dangers if it were broken were widely known by the people of London, a young boy, barely eight years old had been sleep walking on the last day of July two years previously and only three steps outside of his back door had been hit with the Cruciatus Curse on one side and Sectumsempra on the other. He was writhing in pain and bleeding from numerous slashes in his small body when his mother had come out, hysterical, the words she said were never forgotten by Lillian although they had only pierced the air for moments before, with two flashes of green light, both mother and son had been murdered, whilst the second child, a daughter of fourteen looked on from her bedroom window. As Lillian watched her mother and brother die the last words of Marlene Knight were embedded in her mind forever, “Albus Dumbledore was the greatest wizard to ever live! He will help us, help is always given to those who ask for it, help us Dumbledore, _HELP US!!!!”  
_ Lillian clenched her fists at the thought of her dear, innocent brother, _“Devon,”_ she whispered, at sat on the edge of her bed stiffly, _I wish there was no curfew, I wish there were no Death Eaters, I wish there was no Dark Lord!_ Lillian's eyes went wide, her face pale, working quickly to bury her moment of rebellion, bury it deep beneath every memory she had, she knew that she would be killed without a second thought if those words were ever discovered, hidden as they were, deep in the folds of her mind. Sighing once more she scraped her auburn hair into a messy bun, and gripping her wand tightly, opened the door to her bedroom. There may be a curfew, but nothing said she couldn’t walk about her own house.   
The memory of her mother and brother’s murder had shaken her and she set out to check on Ariana, her sister was sleeping peacefully when Lillian pushed the door open. Clutching a worn grey rabbit that had once been Lillian's, her eyes were closed, her light brown hair falling in curls around her face. One lock of hair splayed across her cheek, and when Ariana breathed it shifted. Smiling to herself, Lillian carefully rearranged this lock of hair, tucking it behind Ariana’s ear. Crinkling her small nose Ariana stirred, and for a moment Lillian feared that she had woken her sister but after only a moment, the small, angelic face smoothed once more.   
Lillian felt bad about it, but part of her wished that Ariana had woken, because at only five years old, her blue eyes, so similar, yet so different to Lillian's piercing ones, were still innocent. She had never left the property of the Knight Estate, both Lillian and her father choosing to protect the one thing they had left in this world; Ariana.   
Lillian's lips brushed Ariana’s forehead and she moved silently out of the room, deciding, once she was again in the cold loneliness of the hallway, that she would retreat to her room, she knew she would never sleep, but she had to make a list. She and her best friend, Jamey Marchante, were going to Diagon Alley that day to pick up some new supplies for school as the lists had come out a week before.   
Retrieving a roll of parchment from her desk drawer Lillian sat on her bed, unable to focus, her mind, once more mulling over her mother’s last words. Lillian had long since forgotten her obsession with them because, although she missed both her mother, and Devon very much, people under the rein of the Dark Lord grew accustomed to death. Both the Cruciatus Curse and Sectumsempra were used commonly, even, some might say, lightly, for although they were not used on Pure-Bloods quite so often it was a daily occurrence to hear about mudbloods and muggles being tortured. Lillian frowned, she hadn’t much thought about it but wasn’t it unfair to torture them so? Mudbloods were not allowed wands of course, so why should they be attacked so unceremoniously, when they could not lift a finger to defend themselves? And more, Lillian had never heard of a single victim to the Death Eaters _deserving_ the cruel treatments bestowed on them.   
Shaking these thought out of her head she lie down, hoping to drift off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep… she was not so lucky.  
It began with darkness, an impenetrable black cloud that settled over her as Lillian crouched, shivering, in the corner of a dark room, the walls made of dirt. Although it was familiar, expected even, she cringed and tried to cover her ears when the screams started, the screams of pain that emanated first from her father, then Jamey, and lastly, a young high pitched voice joined the others. Lillian Knight listened in terror to Ariana’s screams of pain, but only for a moment, because rather than continuing her nightmare in blackness a bright light appeared, so bright that her surrounding were not illuminated before they disappeared, and black dots formed in front of her eyes.  
When the light finally faded she found herself to be on a rock, _her_ rock. The large, perfectly rounded rock sat at the very edge of the lake in Hogwarts grounds, smooth to the touch, many had given up trying to climb it until Lillian came. She saw the rock and realized it was much like the one at the edge of the much smaller lake in the Knight Estate and, driven by homesickness, tried relentlessly to climb it. Eventually she attempted climbing the tree behind it, and crawling to the end of the longest branch she jumped, landing precariously on the edge of her rock. Lillian allowed her shoulders to relax, her arms to go limp, and she sat, running her fingers along the smooth surface that was still warm to the touch, regardless of the full moon hanging in the sky… full moon! Lillian looked around, terrified, maybe she hadn’t escaped her nightmare, maybe this was just a new version of it. Werewolves, though not allowed to attend Hogwarts, often found themselves in the Forbidden Forest, they were very common now, with the twin brothers, Jaykob and Dasini Greyback. Those fiends had carried on their grandfathers name with pride, seeing humans as things to hunt, even without a full moon, they would look for children, just as their grandfather had, another reason to keep Ariana inside… where she was safe.  
“No one is ever safe.”  
Lillian looked up, shocked, she had been certain that she was alone, but now, in front of her stood a tall man with a lengthy white beard, long enough to tuck in to his belt. He looked down his crooked nose, through half-moon spectacles and said once more, in a rather weary voice, “No one, my dear Lillian, is ever safe from him.”  
“I-who…” Lillian trailed off, for she had just noticed something, his eyes were a clear blue, which was not so incredible, even the fact that they were identical to her own was not the reason she had fallen silent. Lillian's voice was stolen because of a certain quality those eyes had, looking up at his tall frame Lillian felt as though she were being x-rayed, a quality that only her own eyes possessed. Along with of course, her fathers, brothers and sisters eyes which were identical, in every way, to the mysterious man standing before her. Scrambling to her feet Lillian composed herself, wiping all emotion from her face, this man might have the element of surprise, but she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing it, “Who are you,” she said fiercely, not asking his name; demanding it.  
“Oh, I have not introduced myself,” he said chuckling, “My name is Albus Dumbledore.” 


	2. Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO:**  
Albus Dumbledore, could it be _the_ Albus Dumbledore, the very same one her mother had made her final statement about? The Albus Dumbledore who had filled her thoughts as a strong, young warrior, but never did she picture him as what he was, a frail old man with eyes identical to her own.  
“I like to think, even if I am dead, that I was never really _that_ old was I?”  
“How do you know what I'm thinking,” Lillian proclaimed furiously, this man must be nearly as strong as the Dark Lord if he could penetrate _her_ thoughts so easily.  
“Yes, in my day I was said to be the one wizard that Lord Voldemort most feared, ah do not cringe Lillian, fear of a name only increases fear of the man himself,” he said gravely.  
“How can you not, when he rules everything, watches your every move… there is no escaping him, he has been the Lord forever and he always will be, for he never dies, he never even _ages_ , but still, all bow and serve him. We are pawns in his game, and that is all we are here for, even Pure-Bloods mean nothing to him!” Realizing that she was ranting Lillian quieted herself, and became suddenly fearful of this man once more; perhaps he was a Death Eater? They had become famous for manipulating, just for fun, and three of them had heard her mother’s final words also, maybe she was not asleep… maybe she had been taken. _But why here, why would Death Eaters take me to Hogwarts?_ She thought furiously before turning her gaze to Dumbledore once more, and upon doing this she was enraged, a light smile was playing at the corners of his mouth, “How dare you laugh at me! That was perhaps the most dangerous thing I have ever said, those words could cost me my life, could cost me Ariana’s life.  
At those words Dumbledore froze, looking at her in shock, after a pause Lillian, in the tenseness of her situation spoke impatiently, “ _What?_ ”  
“Ariana… your sister is Ariana?” Dumbledore’s voice had softened, and tears filled his blue eyes, when he spoke it was in a faraway voice, “For years after my death I looked, I searched but I did not find. Ariana Dumbledore was my little sister, my sister that I … I have been told so many times not to, but I blame myself for her death. I have been dead seventy seven years, and searching all the while, alongside my brother Aberforth, although he really isn’t much help, he is good company. This, being here with you, has broken the monotony and I am very grateful for that, but I am not here to talk about my childhood, I am here to talk about someone elses.  
“When I was living I was Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, widely known, and sometimes disrespected, for my love of muggles. Although they were never permitted into the house of Salazar Slytherin, many muggle-borns were Gryffindor’s, Hufflepuff’s, and Ravenclaw’s,” at my blank look he smiled again, but this time it was tinged with sadness, “I see I am going to have to explain in more detail,  
"Hogwarts School was founded by four of the most powerful witches and wizards of their time, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, Hogwarts also divided its students into four groups, namely Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and” he said with a nod in my direction, “Slytherin. Students would be chosen by an enchanted hat and go to the house that they most belonged in, the Sorting Hat, as it was called, looked at their personalities, their attributes, their goals, and placed them in the house they rightfully belonged. Slytherin was the only one who looked at blood status as a factor of acceptance, no single student of muggle born status was ever admitted into Slytherin.    
“The student I am going to tell you about was named Tom Marvolo Riddle; he was a half blood, son of muggle, Tom Riddle Senior, daughter of Merope Gaunt, heir of Slytherin. He grew up in an orphanage, for, not knowing who his father was, and with Merope deceased, he had no place else to go. He did not have a peaceful child hood, he was able to control his powers at a very young age, he could, to put it in his words, “Make people hurt if he wanted to”. Tom Riddle said these words at only eleven years old, and although he learned to hide his thoughts, much as you have, he continued to think much darker thoughts. He opened the Chamber of Secrets and let loose a basilisk to petrify muggle-borns, eventually killing one, the students dubbed her Moaning Myrtle, I don't know if the new regime has banished her from the castle…”  
 Dumbledore trailed off and Lillian said, “No, she is still there,” rather dismissively, she wanted to hear more of Tom Riddles story.  
Seeing her suspense, not in her face, but the stiff way she stood, her back straight, looking directly into his eyes, Dumbledore continued speaking, “He also hunted down his father, and killing his uncle in the process, he found both his father and his grandparents, slaughtering them all. He walked away that night, with no burden, thinking only of his heinous acts as a victory, and stealing a ring from his uncle’s body he returned to school.   
“This was only the beginning of his killing spree, but soon he tired of his muggle name and fashioned a new name- Lord Voldemort.”  
“The Dark Lord is a _half-blood?_ ” Lillian spluttered incredulously, blood status mattered little to her, if at all, the only reason she considered it was because the Dark Lord punished those who conversed with muggles and Mudbloods. Lillian chided herself, she knew that she should simply call them muggle-borns, but when you are surrounded with one type of language, it is difficult not to pick it up. _All the more reason, I don't want Ariana speaking in such a way,_ she reminded herself. Coming back to the present she looked past Dumbledore and out across the moonlit lake, its glass like surface broken only by the giant squid propelling itself lazily, it was just as she remembered, _of course it is! How could it be any different when I am obviously dreaming?_ She scolded herself once more and looked into Dumbledore’s face, but something she saw there made her rethink that last thought… how could she be sure it was a dream?   
“Oh but of course it is a dream!”  
“You mean this is all in my head, none of it is real?” Lillian asked, in a tone of what was obviously relief.  
Dumbledore chuckled once more and said, “Of course it is happening inside your head, Lillian, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?”  
Lillian saw that Dumbledore's eyes were far away, as though he had once said that to someone else, and he was remembering it now. “Ah, my dear Lillian, I see you have inherited my talent for reading people!”  
Lillian blanked for a moment then said slowly, her heart thudding wildly in her chest, “inherited?”    
“Yes. It is not commonly known, actually many people of this generation have never heard of me, or if they have they do not dare speak my name, should they suffer the same terrible fate as your mother. But, as I began, it is not commonly know that I had a daughter, her name was Melanie, but I knew that Voldemort would rise and I wished to protect her, only to protect her, so I named her Melanie Knight. She grew up with her mother, Ivy, on the outskirts of Godric’s Hollow, she did not know me as the whole reason behind my allowing her to be raised there was to protect her from her identity. However, when she came to Hogwarts, I told her. I told her everything, I knew from another girl in her year, Lily Evans that she grieved, wanting to know the name of her father. She was wise, and gifted in reading people, as you are Lillian. Melanie knew the intentions behind my actions and forgave me, which was more than I had ever hoped for.  We did, however, continue to keep our secret for it was still dangerous for her to be my daughter, she had her own children, Maddison and Malcolm, but I died when he was only three years old and she seven. Maddison later died in a Death Eater attack, but Malcolm Knight lives on still, after having had a son, James Knight.”  
At these words Lillian let out an audible gasp, she had known of course, as soon as Dumbledore mentioned that his daughter was Melanie Knight, her mother Ivy Knight, and as he went further down the line of _her_ family tree, the feeling had grown stronger. But now, to know with certainty, that her father’s great grandfather stood before her was too much, Lillian dropped to a sitting position on the rock, “You… you are my grandfather?”  
Dumbledore nodded, apparently pleased that she had come to this realisation quickly enough, “But, if you are related to me on my father’s side, how did my mother come to shout your name upon her death?” I inquired, curiosity burning in my stomach.  
“Your father kept no secrets from your mother, because, Melanie had passed her secret on to Malcolm when she died, and he onto James, when James came of age. It seems that neither were ashamed of me, and wished only to pass my story on, in secret. I am certain that this story will also be told to you in time.  
“It is nearly dawn, my dear Lillian, and I know there are questions running through your head, so many that one is barely formed before another is produced, but they must wait. I will see you tomorrow night, I will steal you once more from the horrors that haunt  your sleep, you will awaken in an hour’s time, you will remember everything of this meeting but it is vital that it is kept a secret. If any whisper of your ancestry meets the ears of a Death Eater, they will not hesitate to kill you, and they will not stop there, they will kill whomever has my blood in their veins.”  
While waiting for this to sink in Dumbledore helped Lillian to her feet, with a gasp she almost collapsed once more, “Ariana.”   
“Yes,” he replied gravely, “They would kill your dearest, so you understand, this goes buried deep, even below tonight’s half formed wishes of rebellion, it is the utmost importance!” With those last, imposing words Dumbledore vanished and Lillian vanished also, into the abyss of sleep that was, for the first time all summer, peaceful. 


End file.
